April 09, 2013 - 12:36 PM
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's mental health system for teens is fractured, confusing and frustrating and B.C.'s children's' watchdog says the government needs to fix it.
A report by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says mental health services for children between the ages of 16 and 19 is a patchwork of services that are inconsistent from region to region.
Her report found serious shortcomings and poor communication in a mental health system that isn't doing enough to help the children or their families.
Turpel-Lafond surveyed hundreds of families in her review and collected information on the experiences of 89 families who tried to use the system.
The report says promises of a 2003 report to improve the mental health system for children have gone unfulfilled.
Turpel-Lafond says there's a lack of provincial leadership on the issue and the first step to fixing the problem would be to appoint a minister of state for youth mental health, who'd be responsible for building a three-year plan to create a coherent mental health programs for teens.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013